"Our story starts on a winter day,
high up in the sky,
in a cloud that is very,
very cold.
This is the story of snow."
As the eastern coast of the United States prepares, once more, for a huge storm with record snowfalls and wind warnings, I am sure there are many wishing they understood how such a thing happens. And if they are lucky enough to have access to this simple, information-filled book, with its incredible photographs of the beauty that is snow, they would have a much better understanding of what is occuring where they are. So much about snow is shown and discussed here! The way in which snow forms is clearly explained and magnified photos show the snow crystals in all their glory. Knowing that water vapor will stick to a speck of anything, from dirt to salt, and still become the delicately shaped crystals that so intrigue those of us who love them is quite astonishing. Their different shapes (stars, plates and columns) and symmetry are captured on film and brought to young readers. My assumption has always been that they are perfect...not true. There are also flaws. We get to see them all.
As a child I saw none of the amazing images that photographers now capture for their young audience. I have previously mentioned how long Nic Bishop will wait to get just the right shot whether he is watching frogs, butterflies or wombats. Mark Cassino must be endlessly patient as well. Sharing the task of creating this book is Jon Nelson whose text matches the photographs with clear, understandable bits of information that lead readers to listen to it, or read it themselves, and then take the time to peruse the accompanying photo. In that way they are not overwhelmed. The detailed illustrations help us understand the formation of the crystals and their actual size, relative to the photographs shared. The instructions on catching your own snow crystals using a collecting board, a magnifying glass and a whole lot of patience will have kids eagerly anticipating the forecasted weather this weekend...at least on that east coast. This is a book that could be read to the class as a whole, or to individual and very interested young scientists.
It's a perfect book to study alongside Jacqueline Briggs Martin's Snowflake Bentley (Houghton, 1998), a picture book biography of the man from Vermont who, in the 19th century, saw the singular beauty of snow and recorded it on his camera for others to study.
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